In a statement,the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said the resignations would significantly affect people with acute and critical mental health needs,forcing patients to seek care from other providers and emergency departments that were “already stressed and at capacity”.

“These are some of the most vulnerable people in our community,and disruption to their care will have wide-ranging impacts for them,their families and carers,” it said.

Acting executive director of the union representing hospital doctors,the Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation (ASMOF),Ian Lisser,said psychiatrists were committed to patient welfare but had been left with little choice other than to resign after “working in a crumbling system for months”.

“The fact is,psychiatrists are at the table and have been for some time,” he said in response to Park’s comments.

“The NSW government has consistently refused to budge on a 3 per cent pay offer when there is a 30 per cent gap when compared with the pay other psychiatrists receive in other states.”

The government will next meet with the union in the Industrial Relations Commission on Tuesday.

Last month,theHerald revealed that NSW Health wasoffering “crisis” rates of up to $3050 a day to locum psychiatrists.

Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson said at the time that the government was exploring every option to ease the impact on patients,including finding staff from overseas “to help plug any gaps”.

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